Apparatus for applying ink or other liquids to soles or other free foam articles

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for applying liquids, inks and adhesives, for examples, to or otherwise treating the margins of shoe soles or other free form articles. The apparatus has first means to support an article in an elevated position and adapted to be opened to enable an article to be introduced or removed and, when closed, operable to turn the article to a desired extent and to apply a liquid to or otherwise treat its margins. Conveyor means, desirably including a dryer when the treatment is with a liquid, includes a transfer device at its infeed end operable to remove a treated article from the first means. Control means actuated when an article is introduced into the supporting means first closes the supporting means and then opens it when an article has been turned to the desired extent and operates the conveyor means.

Johnson et al.

Feb. 1, 1972 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING INK OR OTHER LIQUIDS TO SOLES OR OTHER FREE FOAM ARTICLES James Johnson, Plaistow, N.l-l.; Richard S. Ordway, Haverhill, Mass.

Assignee: Circle Machine Co., Inc., Haverhill, Mass.

Filed: June 1, 1970 Appl. No; 42,270

Inventors:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fleischer ..12/i A Ralphs 12/1 A Primary Examiner- -Patrick D. Lawson Att0rneyAbbott Spear [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus is disclosed for applying liquids, inks and adhesives, for examples, to or otherwise treating the margins of shoe soles or other free form articles. The apparatus has first means to support an article in an elevated position and adapted to be opened to enable an article to be introduced or removed and, when closed, operable to turn the article to a desired extent and to apply a liquid to or otherwise treat its margins. Conveyor means, desirably including a dryer when the treatment is with a liquid, includes a transfer device at its infeed end operable to remove a treated article from the first means. Control means actuated when an article is introduced into the supporting means first closes the supporting means and then opens it when an article has been turned to the desired extent and operates the conveyor means.

30 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures mzmcnrw 1912 SEE! 01B? 10 w UWB m w a 1.

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sum 050$ 10 FIG. I2

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INVENTORS RICHARD S. ORDWAY JAMES JOHNSON ATTQBNEY PATE 81,- 3.638.261

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INVENTORS RICHARD s. ORDWAY BY, JAMES aormsou i r ATTO NEY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING INK OR OTHER LIQUIDS TO SOLES OR OTHER FREE FOAM ARTICLES The present invention relates to apparatus for applying a liquid to or otherwise treating the margins of a free-form article, the term margin" or margins being used herein to denote their edges, portions of one surface, either marginal or spaced inwardly thereof, or both their edges and such surface portions. The invention is discussed herein primarily with the articles being shoe soles and with liquid treatment.

Inking of shoe soles, for example, is a coloring operation that has proved troublesome since, with even fast-drying inks, the apparatus became smeared, with ink being transferred to unwanted areas of the soles as they were being processed. Another example of a sole treating process presenting the same problems is that where an adhesive or cement or a priming therefor that is itself sticky until dry, is applied to shoe sole margins. Apparatus has been proposed for such uses. See, for example, the patent to Webster, US. Pat. No. 3,080,849 and the patent to Peterson, US. Pat. No. 3,390,663. For patents for turning and otherwise treating the margins of a sole, see the patent to Godet, US. Pat. No. 3,226,748; the patents to Comeau, US. Pat. Nos. 3,389,913 and 3,325,839; the patent to Comeau et al., US. Pat. No. 3,466,683; and the patent to Ordway et al., US. Pat. No. 3,493,985.

A principal objective of the present invention is, accordingly, to provide apparatus enabling the margins of articles to be quickly and accurately treated, particularly with a liquid and the articles discharged in a dry state and without the liquid being transferred to the apparatus by the article or from the apparatus to the articles after their margins are treated.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained with apparatus provided with means to support an article in an elevated position and that may be opened to enable it to be introduced or removed therefrom and operable when closed to turn a supported article and treat its margins to a desired extent. The apparatus also includes conveyor means including a transfer device operable to remove the treated article from the supporting means and when the treatment is with a liquid, the conveyor means includes a dryer. Control means are provided having a trigger actuated when an article is introduced into the supporting means when open and operable first to close the first means and after the article has been turned to the desired extent, open the first means and actuate the conveyor means to remove the treated article therefrom.

Another objective of the invention is to utilize a dryer as part of the conveyor means, an objective attained by providing a dryer having a conveyor that has a pair of transversely spaced chains whose courses extend vertically. Each chain includes a plurality of sets of fingers having protrusions providing small areas of supporting contact with the articles, each set being pivotally connected to the chain with its fingers transversely aligned with corresponding ones of the other chain and spaced apart to receive an article between them. While the dryer conveyor may be used by itself, infeed and outfeed conveyors are provided, the infeed or take-away conveyor having the transfer device at its infeed end and its outfeed end adjacent with an overlap between it and the lower ends of the upwardly traveling chain courses. There is also an overlap between the infeed end of the outfeed conveyor and the downwardly traveling chain courses of the dryer. A particular objective of the invention is to provide that the take-away conveyor and the dryer conveyor be operated with the take-away conveyor being advanced a step when an article has been introduced into the supporting and treating means and the conveyor of the dryer then advanced one step before another article is introduced into the supporting means.

Another objective of the invention is concerned with the provision of first named or article-supporting means that will reliably and efficiently treat the margins of the articles with a liquid, an objective attained by providing first means comprising a lower unit including a pair of rotatable members of which at least one supports an article by its margin. The supporting means also includes a second or upper unit provided with a driving member having its axis at right angles to the axes of the pair of members of the lower unit. The second unit is movable between a first position in which the driving wheel is remote from the position of an article when supported by the lower unit and a second position in which the driving wheel is in engagement with a supported article and operable to urge the engaged article against both of the lower unit wheels. The lower unit also including a supporting member underlying the area engaged by the upper unit wheel and inwardly of the margins of the article as it is being turned completely about. The first means also includes means to rotate the driving wheel of the upper unit and at least one of the pair of wheels of the lower unit. Means are also provided to effect a treatment of margins of the supported articles.

A particular objective of the invention is to provide the rotatable means of the lower unit with peripheral grooves which receive the margin of the article and to deliver the treating liquid to one of them and another objective of the invention is to provide the upper unit with a roller engageable with and traveling along the margin of its upper surface to which roller the treating liquid is also applied.

Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a pneumatic control that will automatically operate the apparatus through a complete cycle once an article has been positioned in the lower unit of the supporting means, an objective attained with apparatus having a pair of air delivery conduits, each including a valve and a piston-cylinder unit, one unit operable to open and close the supporting means and, when liquid treatment is wanted, to open and close the delivery valve therefor, and said other unit having a normally retracted position, the conduit for the other unit including adjustable means to retard the advance of its piston so that it may serve as a timer. Means are provided to deliver a pulse of air to each valve to shift it to deliver air to the unit controlled thereby and including a normally closed valve and trigger controlled means to open that normally closed valve when an article is positioned in the supporting means, one unit then closing the supporting means and the piston of the other unit then advancing relatively slowly. The apparatus also includes airoperated means to remove an article from the supporting means and provided with means operable, when the removal of an article has been completed, to deliver a pulse of air to shift the valve in control of the slowly moving timing piston to terminate air delivery thereto. Additional means include a normally closed valve to deliver air to operate the articleremoving means and to shift the valve in control of the unit opening and closing the supporting means to effect the closed position thereof. The apparatus has means operable by the slowly moving piston to open the last-named normally closed valve when a supported article has been turned about to the desired extent.

The article-removing means preferably includes the dryer conveyor and a conveyor to take away treated articles from the supporting means with the take-away conveyor first being advanced a step when the supporting means is operated and the dryer conveyor then advanced a step. Each conveyor is controlled by an air-operated latch holding it against movement with the valve in control of the airflow opening the supporting means having a second air delivery position into which it is set when the supporting means are open. Air-operated means, open in said second position, deliver an air-unlatching pulse effective to open a normally closed valve in an air delivery conduit in communication with the latch for the takeaway conveyor thus to enable it to advance a step during which it actuates a trip momentarily opening an air delivery conduit to the latch of the dryer conveyor to cause a one-step advance thereof.

The article-removing means includes transfer means consisting of a first suction device and an elevator including a first piston-cylinder unit operable to bring a treated article and the suction device into holding engagement and a second pistoncylinder unit operable to move the held article from the supporting means to the conveyor. In one embodiment of the invention, the air delivery conduit for each unit has a four-way valve including connections in communication with opposite ends of its cylinders. The air delivery means has first and second branch conduits and both are opened when the article has been treated to the desired extent, the first branch including a normally open valve and a venturi whose suction intake is in communication with the first suction device and with which intake a second device is also in communication. The second branch conduit is connected to the valve in control of the first piston-cylinder unit and is operable to set it to effect engagement of the elevator with an article, the engaged article then blocking the first suction device thereby to secure the article and operate the second suction device. Another delivery conduit has a normally closed valve then opened by the second suction device and a normally closed valve opened when the piston of the second unit is retracted to position the transfer means to pick up a treated article thereby to deliver air to reset the four-way valve in control of the second unit. An additional air delivery conduit has a normally closed valve open when the piston of the second unit is in its advanced position to reset the first four-way valve and to close the normally open valve of the first branch conduit thus to break the suction, and a second normally closed valve also opened in said advanced piston position to set the four-way valve in control of the second unit to cause the retraction of the piston.

In another embodiment of the invention, the first or elevator unit is controlled by a normally open valve closed by airflow from the valve opened by the second suction device and the second normally closed valve in the air delivery conduit is opened when the second piston-cylinder unit has moved the held article over the take-away conveyor. In this embodiment, the elevator is retracted before the suction is broken whereas in the first-described embodiment, the suction is broken before the piston of the second unit is retracted.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a take-away conveyor that prevents the transfer of liquid from one treated article to another, an objective attained by providing its courses with vertically disposed pins on which the trans ferred articles ride.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an adjustable, pneumatic timer that will enable a control to be actuated at the desired time as the articles to be treated vary as to size and also as to the extent to which their margins are to be treated. In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained by providing a piston-cylinder unit whose stem is to actuate a control. The movement of the piston in a control-actuating direction is yieldably opposed but the flow of liquid under pressure thereto is subject to regulation by an adjustable valve.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown embodiments of the invention illustrative of these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages in conjunction with the treatment of the margins of shoe soles, particularly with a liquid.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a front perspective view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sole treating means;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fixed lower part of the sole treating means; 2

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 with the hingedly supported parts of the inking means in their operative position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the control arm by which the operation of the apparatus is initiated and which supports a roll for use in treating the margin of the upper surface of a sole;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the control ann;

FIG. 7 is a section taken vertically through the pair of rotatable members of the lower unit and the drain;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through the counter showing the support by which the drive roll is operatively and inoperatively positioned;

FIG. 9 is a like section showing the elevator for raising treated soles into contact with the transfer head;

FIG. 10 is a somewhat schematic view of one of the two disc stops of the clutch;

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the pickup head of the transfer;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the drive for the pickup head;

FIG. 13 is a section taken vertically through one of the reservoirs;

FIG. 14 is a perspective, somewhat schematic view of the driver for the conveyors and for the drive members of the treating means;

FIG. 15 is a perspective sectioned view of the clutch mechanism in control of conveyor indexing;

FIG. I6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the dryer conveyor;

FIG. 17 is a somewhat schematic face view of a part of the dryer conveyor showing proximate supports with their ends abutting;

FIG. 18 is a like view but with the ends of proximate supports spaced apart as they are between courses;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the upper end of the dryer conveyor;

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the pneumatic circuitry;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary and somewhat schematic view illustrating an embodiment of the invention wherein the suction cups are carried by the elevator; and

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary schematic view of changed pneumatic circuitry for use with the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 21.

The apparatus shown in the drawings consists of a treating station and a dryer together with means to transfer treated soles to the dryer and the dried soles therefrom, the apparatus being combined in a cabinet 25.

The cabinet 25 has a counter 26, a shelf 27, and a backwall 28. A cover 29, shown only in FIGS. 1 and 2, is hingedly connected to the front edge of the shelf 27 and, when in its lowered position, it is held by supports 30. At its front, the cover 29 has a chain guard 31 engageable with a support 32 on the shelf.

The means at the treating station for supporting and turning a sole S include a lower unit, generally indicated at 33, see FIGS. 2 and 3, and an upper unit, generally indicated at 34, see FIGS. 3 and 4.

The lower unit includes a pair of vertical. shafts 35 and 36, see FIGS. 7 and 14, extending upwardly through the counter 26 and through sleeves 37 in a drain 38. Each shaft is provided with a removable hollow head 39 having an annular groove 40 dimensioned to receive the margin of a sole S. The shaft 35 is an idler while the shaft 36 is ajdriven shaft and its drive, see FIG. 14, will subsequently be detailed. The shafts 35 and 36 have sprockets 4] interconnected by a chain 42. In practice, each pair of the pair of shafts has an annular groove 43 and each head 39 includes a spring-backed detent 44 for entry therein thus enabling the heads to be quickly and easily removed and replaced when shoe soles of a different thickness are to be processed. The lower unit 33 also includes a vertically adjustable mount 45 under the support 32 and provided with an idler roller 46 having its axis in a horizontal plane appropriate for the support of a sole S with its margins in the head grooves 40 and with the roller 46 in a position to support the sole S at all times as it is turned completely about. The mount 45 has a laterally adjustable connection 47 with the counter 26 enabling its position to be changed as required by the size of the soles being treated.

The upper unit 34 of the sole treating means includes a shaft supported in bearings 49 carried by the supports 30. A mount 50 has spaced bearings 51 through which the shaft 48 extends so that the shaft 48 pivotally supports the mount 50 thus to enable it to be swung downwardly into and upwardly out of a position in which its clevis pin 52 may be entered in a hole 53 in a support 54, At the free or outer end of the mount 50 there is a shaft 55 provided at one end with a driving wheel 56 and at its other end with a sprocket 57. The shaft 48 has sprockets 58 and 59, the sprockets 57 and 58 being interconnected by a chain 60 and the sprocket 59 having a drive chain 61 trained about it and extending downwardly through the counter 26.

Turning now to FIG. 14 it will be seen that the drive, located within the cabinet, includes a motor 62 and a gearbox 63 driven thereby and having its driven shaft 64 provided with a sprocket 65 connected to a sprocket 66 on a shaft 67 by a chain 68. The shaft 67 is the drive shaft of a gearbox 69 having driven shafts 70 and 71 provided with sprockets 72 and 73, respectively. A shaft 74 has, at one end, a sprocket 75 connected to the sprocket 73 by a chain 76 and at its other end, a gearbox 77 to which the shaft 36 is connected. The shaft 78 of the gearbox 77 has a sprocket 79 about which the chain 61 is trained.

With a sole S supported by the roller 46 with its margins held in the head grooves 40, the shafts 35 and 36 driven, and the driving wheel 56 driven and in contact with the upper central portion of the supported sole S, the sole S is continuously turned from end-to-end. From FIG. 3, it will be apparent that the roller 46 provides support for the sole S substantially where engaged by the driving wheel 56.

During such turning, the edge of the sole S, the margin of its upper surface, or both may be treated. For liquid treatments, identical chambers 80 are mounted on the shelf 27, each containing a reservoir 81 having an outlet conduit 82, see FIGS. 1 and 13. The chambers 80 are anchored by clamping means 83 so that they are airtight to enable positive pressure to be maintained therein to ensure proper liquid discharge. In practice, a pressure of about 2 pounds is found to be satisfactory and this is maintained by conventional pressure regulators in an air supply line and indicated at 84. Each chamber 80 supports a stirrer within its reservoir 81 and driven, desirably constantly, by suitable means, not detailed, the stirrer and its drive being generally indicated at 85 in FIG. 13.

The outlet conduit 82 from the reservoirs 81 are controlled by a common valve 86, see FIG. 20, with one conduit 82 extending through a holder 87, best seen in FIG. 3, and including an outlet 88 confined by a scraper 89 in the groove 40 of the head 39 on the shaft 35. The holder 87 is adjustable along a post 90 supported by a base 91 having an adjustable connection 92 with the counter 26.

The upper unit 34, see FIGS. 4 and 6, has an arm, generally indicated at 93 and including sections 93A and 93B. The arm section 93A is connected to the mount 50 by a vertical pivot 94 so that the arm 93 may swing in a horizontal plane towards the backwall 28 against the action of a spring 95 which urges the arm against a stop 50A carried by the mount 50 rearwardly of the shaft 55. The arm section 938 has a forked end 96, see FIG. 6, connected to the arm section 93A by a transverse pivot 97 between vertically spaced shoulders 98 which limit the extent to which the arm section 93B may swing upwardly and downwardly.

A head 99 has a vertical post 100 adjustably clamped to the free end of the arm section 93B and includes an arm 99A provided with a bracket 101 on its undersurface rotatably supporting a roller 102 for engagement with the uppersurface of a sole S with its axis transversely of the direction of the travel of the sole as it is turned, the pivotal connection between the arm sections 93A and 93B ensuring the continuous contact of the roller 102 therewith.

A passage 103 extending into the head arm 99A has said other liquid delivery conduit 82 connected thereto and is provided with outlet ports 103A, see FIG. 5, through which liquid is discharged downwardly against the roller 102. The head 99 has a depending guide 104 engaged by the edge of the sole 5. It will be appreciated that the position of the roller 102 may be adjusted by means of the above-defined construction to apply liquid to the upper surface of a sole regardless of its size and thickness. With the head shown, the roller 102 travels along the margin of the sole S but for some purposes, a head 99 may be used with its roller 102 spaced relative to the guide 104 to apply a liquid along a path spaced inwardly thereof. The width of the applied liquid band is determined by the axial extent of the roller 102.

It will be apparent that a sole cannot be removed and replaced from the above-described sole supporting and treating means unless the upper unit 34 is raised to position the rollers 46 and 102 inoperatively and for that reason, the support 54, see FIG. 8, is attached to the stern 105 of an air-operated piston-cylinder unit 106 operable to raise and lower the upper unit 34. The unit 106 is located in the cabinet 25 below the counter 26 with its stern 105 extending upwardly therewith and through a sleeve 107 threaded through a supporting nut 108. A disc 109 threaded on the stem 105-and supported by the sleeve 107 provides a convenient means for adjusting the stroke of the stern 105, and, accordingly, the extent to which the upper unit 34 can be raised by the piston-cylinder unit 106. As will subsequently be explained, the unit 106 is controlled to bring the driving wheel 56 and the roller 102 down into their operative positions when a new sole S is operatively positioned in the lower unit 33 and to raise the upper unit 34 when the treatment of a sole S has been completed.

In order that this and other functions can be carried out automatically the mount 50 is provided with a normally closed valve 110 whose operating stem 111 is engaged by a cam 112 mounted on the arm section 93A-so that when the arm 93 is swung against the action of the spring 95 to a predetermined extent, the valve is rendered operative to initiate the several functions among which, in a manner detailed in connection with FIG. 20, is the lowering of the upper unit 34 into its operative position in which the driving wheel 56 and the roller 102 engage the upper surface of the supported sole S and the initiation of the liquid flow to the roller 102 and one of the heads 39.

In order that the treating operation may be terminated automatically, a sensor, generally indicated at 113 is provided of the type providing a gap in an air conduit/The sensor has, see FIG. 2, a base 1l4'mounted on the shelf 26 and having an upwardly opening port 115 in vertical alignment with a downwardly opening port 116 at the extremity of the U- shaped conduit member 1170f the sensor. The ports 115 and 116 are vertically spaced so that a supported sole S is between and blocks airflow between them except on two occasions as the sole S is turned completelyabout. These occasions result because of the shape of a shoe sole when it is turned from endto-end. It is provided, as -will subsequently be explained, that the action of the sensor 113 is delayed so that its control is responsive to the second unblocking occasion, then to utilize the airflow across the gap between the sensor ports to initiate certain functions including the raising of the upper unit 34 and the termination of the liquid flow by means later to be described. The linear extent to which the margin of a sole S is treated depends on how it is initially positioned in the lower unit 34 and the extent to which the sensor is delayed. lf initially positioned as shown in FIG. 3, a sole is turned completely about.

The treated sole S comes to rest in its FIG. 4 position to be picked up and transferred to and deposited transversely of the take-away conveyor, generally indicated at 118 by transfer means generally indicated at 119 and shown, see FIGS. 11 and 12, as comprising a rotatable hollow post 120 extending upwardly through the counter 26 with a conduit 121 from a venturi 122, shown only in FIG. 20, extending upwardly therethrough. A support 123 for an arm 124 is clamped on the upper end of the post 120 for adjustment vertically relative thereto. The arm 124 is provided with a head 125 having downwardly disposed suction cups 126 with which the suction intake of the venturi 122 is in communication. The post 120 is turned to an extent providing a pickup position for a treated and released sole 5, and a discharge position overlying the conveyor 118. The means for turning the post 120 through an angle of 90 is shown somewhat schematically in FIG. 12 as comprising an air-operated, piston-cylinder unit 127 having its stem 128 connected to chain 129 trained about a sprocket 130 on the lower end of the post 120 and an idler sprocket 131 on a shaft 132. The control of the unit 127 will be subsequently detailed in connection with FIG. 20.

Below the sole-receiving position of the pickup head 125, there is an elevator 133, see FIG. 9. An air-operated; pistoncylinder unit 134 extending vertically through a hole 135. The counter 26 is adjustably held by a support 136 which is adjustably secured to the counter 26 with its stern 137 extending vertically in support of the elevator 133. The unit 134 is controlled, in a manner subsequently detailed, to lift a treated sole S into contact with the pickup head 125 of the transfer means.

The margins of the sole S delivered to the conveyor 118 are wet and to ensure against smearing, the conveyor 118 is at rest when the sole S is released from the pickup head 125. The conveyor 118, see FIG. 14, consists of a pair of members 135, each trained about sprockets 136 and 137, the sprockets 136 being fast on a shaft 136A journaled in frame members 138 and extending into the generally indicated drying chamber C close to the transfer means and the elevator 133 and the sprockets 137 being fast on a shaft 137A journaled in said frame members within the chamber C. The shaft 136A is the drive shaft and has a sprocket 1363 connected by a chain 139 to a sprocket 140 on the driven shaft of a gearbox 141.

Within the chamber C there is a vertically disposed conveyor generally indicated at 142, see FIGS. 14 and 16-19. The conveyor 142 has its lower shaft 143 provided with a drive sprocket 144 and a pair of sprockets 145 for the chains 146 which are trained about the sprockets 147 fixed on the upper shaft 148. A plurality of mounts 149 are carried by each chain 148, corresponding mounts being transversely aligned and centrally pivotally connected as at 150 to the appropriate chain. Each mount has fingers 151 extending normally relative thereto and corresponding fingers 151 are transversely disposed. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, each finger 151 is provided with a plurality of discs 151A spaced lengthwise thereof serving as sole supporting means of small area and as stops to limit the extent to which any ink transferred to the fingers 151 can travel therealong. The mounts 149 carried by each chain abut when traveling along the vertical courses of the conveyor 141 and each has its ends parallel and inclined towards the same side, as may be seen in FIGS. 11, 14, and 15, so that abutting ends are side by side. Each mount has ten fingers 151 with one in each end with the finger at the trailing end of the one mount 149 transversely aligned with the finger at the leading end of the trailing mount 149 when traveling along the vertical courses. This arrangement ensures that a sole S will be confined between a pair of fingers 151 of the same mount as it passes over the upper sprocket 147 as will be apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 17 and 18.

It will be noted from FIG. 14 that the outfeed end of the take-away conveyor 118 extends between the two courses of the dryer conveyor 142 to enable a sole S to be positioned between vertically spaced pairs of fingers 151 to be picked up thereby and carried to the top of the drying chamber. As the transversely aligned supports 149 pass about the upper sprockets 147, the sole S supported between an upper and lower pair of transversely aligned fingers 151 drops, other side up, onto the fingers that were previously above it. As the lower end of the conveyor 142 is approached, the dried sole S is picked up by the generally indicated discharge or outfeed conveyor 152.

The outfeed conveyor 152 includes a pair of chains 153 trained about sprockets 154 and 155 supported by shafts 156 and 157, respectively, journaled in a frame 158 with the infeed end of the conveyor 152 overlapping and outside the downwardly traveling course of the conveyor 142. The shaft 156 is the drive shaft and is fixed and has a sprocket 159 connected by a chain 160 to a sprocket 161 on the shaft 67 so that the conveyor 152 is continuously driven at a suitable speed. The frame 158 supports a transverse shaft 162 fast on which is a counterweighted trip arm 162A free to swing downwardly from a predetermined position against the operating stem 163 of a normally open valve 164 thereby to be opened if a treated sole S should happen to stick to the dryer conveyor 142 with its central portion then pressing against the trip arm 162A. The arm 162A is yieldably held in its predetermined position as by a hook 162B fast on the shaft 162 and caught under the frame 158.

The sprocket 72 on the driven shaft 70 of the gearbox 69 is connected by a chain 165 to a sprocket 166 of a generally indicated clutch 167, see FIG. 15, mounted on a hub 168 for rotation independently thereof. The hub 168 is fast on the drive shaft 169 of a gearbox 170 whose driven shaft 171 has a sprocket 172 connected by a chain 173 to the drive sprocket 144 to the dryer conveyor 142.

The clutch 167 includes a sprocket 174 connected to a disc 175 and both are rotatable independently of the shaft hub 168. The sprocket 174 is connected by a chain 176 to the drive sprocket 177 of the gearbox 141 of the drive for the conveyor 118. The disc 175 has a shoulder-defining recess 178 in its periphery. Fast on the hub 168 is a disc 179 whose periphery is provided with a like recess 180. The sprocket 166 is separated from the disc 179 and the sprocket 175 by clutch discs 181 and for this purpose, Teflon plates have proved satisfactory. A spindle 182 threaded axially in the free end of the hub 168 is provided with a backing nut 183 for a compression spring 184 bearing against the ball-bearing unit 185 interposed between it and the disc 175.

By these means, the sprocket 175 and the shaft 169 may be disconnected by holding the discs 175 and 179, respectively, against turning as by means of generally indicated, substantially identical disc stopping latches 186 and 187, see FIGS. 10 and 20.

The latches 186 and 187 include air-operated pistoncylinder units 188 and 189, respectively, each having its stem connected to a pivoted stop bar 190 held, when air is delivered thereto out of engagement with the periphery of the discs. When the air pressure is relieved from a unit, a spring 191 returns its stop bar 190 1 against the periphery of the appropriate rotating disc until the peripheral shoulder thereof engages the associated stop.

The insertion of a sole S, approximately in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, results in the arm 93 being pivoted towards the backwall 28 against the action of the spring 95. The arm 93 has a cam 112 against which the spring 95 bears and which is operable to open the valve 110. The valve 110 may be termed the starting valve since, as previously stated and as will subsequently be more fully detailed, it initiates sole treating functions of which one is to deliver air to set a springloaded four-way valve 192 and thereby effect the delivery of air pressure to a pulse valve 193 thereby to shift the four-way valve 194 to deliver air to the cylinder of a piston-cylinder unit 195 through an adjustable flow-regulating valve 196 with the stem 197 of the unit 195 functioning as a timer in opening the valve 198 with its movement yieldably opposed by a spring 199. The valve 198 may be regarded as the stopping valve as it controls various functions such as the raising of the unit 34, the termination of the liquid flow, and the operation of the means transferring and conveying the treated soles. As the soles S vary in size and as requirements vary as to the extent their margins are to be treated, the timing means must be capable of being accurately adjusted to provide precisely timed intervals. We have found that by providing a conventional flow-regulating valve 196 with a micrometer type of adjustment 196A and by utilizing a piston-cylinder unit 195 of relatively large diameter in relation to the work required of it, in practice a 2-inch diameter, accurate adjustments of the airflow to secure precise timing can be best effected. In the above and following description of the pneumatic circuitry, connections to the source of air under pressure are indicated by A. The valve-setting pulse from the pulse valve 193 also shifts the four-way valve 200 to bleed air from the underside of the piston-cylinder unit 106 so that its stem 105 is pushed downwardly by air constantly supplied from the source by a pressure regulator 201 thereby lowering the upper unit 34 into its operative position. The valve 200 is also operable at that time to bleed air from the piston-cylinder unit 202 thus to cause it to so turn the arm 203 as to open the liquid supply valve 86. The liquid supply valve 86 is essentially two separate valves, each including a rotor 86A having a transverse bore 868. The rotors 86A are combined as a unit turned by the arm 203 to position the bores 868 to permit or block liquid flow therethrough.

When the four-way valve 200 is shifted to inoperatively position the upper unit 34 and terminate the delivery of the treating liquid, it causes a pulse to be delivered by the pulse valve 204 to open momentarily the three-way, normally closed valve 205 to effect delivery of an air pulse from the normally open supply valve 164 to the piston-cylinder unit 188 thereby to unlatch the disc 175 and permit it to turn one revolution thus to advance the take-away conveyor 118 one step. The disc 175 is provided with a laterally disposed lug 207 which on such rotation trips the lever 208 before it is again latched thus to open momentarily the normally closed three-way valve 209 to effect delivery of an air pulse through the shuttle valve 210 to the piston-cylinder unit 189 of the latch 187 to unlatch the disc 179 for a single revolution thus to advance the dryer conveyor 142 one step.

It will be noted that a manually operated bypass valve 211 permits air to pass through the shuttle valve 210 to the unit 189 enabling the dryer conveyor 142 to run continuously to unload it when there are no more treated soles on the conveyor 118.

The sole S being treated is being rapidly turned and although the airgap of the sensor 113 was once unblocked, no air flows across it until the stem 197 of the piston-cylinder unit 196 actuates the three-way normally closed valve 198. Air then flowing across the gap sets a nonnally closed valve 213 to actuate the three-way normally closed valve 214 to shift the valve 200 into its original position in which air is delivered to the piston-cylinder unit 106 to raise the upper unit 34 and also deliver air to the piston-cylinder unit 202 to effect the closed position of the liquid control valve 86. The air sensor 113 and the valve 214 are conveniently a unit available at Imperial Hydraulic Corp., Providence, Rhode Island. The other valves with the exception of the valve 83 are well known and those used were obtained from Versa Products Company, Inc., of Englewood, New Jersey.

Air from the valve 214 is delivered through normally open three-way valve 215 to the venturi device 122 creating suction in the head 125 of the transfer 119. Air from the valve 214 also flows through normally open three-way valve 217 to the piston-cylinder unit 134 causing the sole elevator 133 to lift the sole S into contact with the suction cups 126 of the head 125.

When the picked up sole S blocks the flow of air through the suction cups 125, a vacuum is created in a piston-cylinder unit 218 opening a normally closed three-way delivery valve 219 which delivers air both to close the valve 217 causing the elevator 133 to drop and to the normally closed valve 220 which is opened when the piston of the piston-cylinder unit 127 is in a position in which the transfer head 125 can be engaged by a sole S picked up by the elevator 133. The valve 220 then is momentarily operative to deliver air to set the four-way valve 221 to deliver air to the piston-cylinder unit 127 to cause it to swing the transfer head 125 over the infeed end of the take-away conveyor 118. In the last-named position of the transfer head 125, the normally closed valve 222 is opened then to deliver air to close the valve 215 thus breaking the suction and permitting the sole S to drop on the conveyor 118 and also to reset the valve 221 to operate the unit 127 to return the head 125 to its sole-receiving position. Air from the valve 220 is delivered to reset the four-way valve 194 thereby permitting the piston-cylinder unit 195 to return to effect the closed position of the valve 198.

It will be noted that air delivery by the valve 221 to effect the transfer of a picked up sole S to the conveyor 118 includes a valve 223 between the valve 221 and the bottom of the cylinder 127 which is normally closed but held open by air from the valve 164 of the conveyor-stopping system. The valve 164 is closed if actuated by a sole S stuck on the conveyor 142 thereby preventing operation of the conveyors and permitting the valve 222 to close thereby preventing the operation of the transfer means.

The apparatus illustrated by FIGS. 1-20 is primarily adapted for use when the edge of a sole or a relatively narrow marginal portion of its upper surface is to have liquid applied thereto, usually an ink. Where the applied liquid covers that part of the upper surface that would come in contact with the suction cup 126 of the pickup head 125, as is often the case particularly with an adhesive material, a different transfer device is required.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. 21 and 22, a different transfer means is shown in which the treated soles are picked up from below. As the apparatus may otherwise be that previously described, corresponding parts are distinguished by the prefix addition A to the appropriate reference numerals.

The transfer device shown in FIG. 21 is essentially a combination of the elevator 133 and the transfer device 119. To that end, a hollow vertical shaft 224 is rotatably mounted within the cabinet below the counter A26 and extends upwardly therethrough and is provided with a mount 225 having a pair of vertical guides 226. Below the counter A26, the shaft 224 has a sprocket A130 connected by a chain A129 to a sprocket A131 on an idler shaft 132. The stem A128 of a piston-cylinder unit A127 is connected to the chain A129 and is operable to move it to swing the mount through an are between sole-receiving and transferring positions.

At its bottom end, the shaft 224 has a connector 227 in rotatable support of a piston-cylinder unit A127 whose stem is connected to a rod 228 extending upwardly through the shaft 224 and having an arm A124 fixed on its exposed upper end and supporting a head A125. The unit A127 is operable to raise and lower the head A and the rod 228 must turn with the shaft 224 since the arm A124 is held between the vertical guides 226 at all times. The head A125 has upwardly disposed suction cup A126 with which a conduit A121 from the venturi device A122 is in communication.

When air is delivered to the unit A127, the head A125 is raised to bring its suction cups A126 in contact with a treated sole which now overhangs it and to ensure effective contact between the sole and the suction cups, the arm A93 carries a depending pivoted arm 229 which is engaged by a central portion of the sole when lifted by the head A125 and ensures its being held so that the suction cups will seat against its undersurface ensuring that suction is operative to secure the sole during transfer.

In operation when the air sensor is operated in the manner previously described, air is delivered through the normally open valve A215 to the venturi A122, see FIG. 22. Air is also delivered to set a four-way valve 230 to deliver air to the piston-cylinder unit A134 to raise the head A125 into contact with the undersurface of the overlying treated sole. On such contact, suction is created in the device A218 opening the normally closed valve A219. If the piston of the transfer piston-cylinder unit A127 is in its retracted position, the normally closed valve A220 is opened thus setting the four-way valve A221 to cause the advance of the piston until the normally closed valve A222 is opened to deliver air both to close the valve A215 to break the suction and release the transferred sole to the conveyor A118, see FIG. 21, and to reset the four-way valve 230 to lower the head A125 until it engages and depresses a plunger 231 which then opens the normally closed valve 232 to deliver air to reset the valve A221 to return the head A125 to its original position.

It will be noted from FIG. 21 that the conveyor A118 is provided with a series of pins 233 which not only ensure that the transferred sole travels therewith but also supports the sole in an elevated position with extremely small areas of contact.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides apparatus for the rapid and accurate treatment of the margins of shoe soles or other free-form articles with the treated soles automatically taken away from the treating station. When the treatment is with a liquid, the removed, treated l l soles are carried through a conveyor system ensuring that they are dried before discharge.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for treating the margins of free-form articles, said apparatus comprising means to support an article in a substantially horizontal position and to turn it to a desired extent, said supporting means having open and closed positions including means to treat the margins of the article while the supported article is turning, conveyor means, transfer means operable to transfer the treated article from the supporting means to the conveyor means, and control means actuated when an article is introduced into the supporting means in its open position and operable first to close the supporting means and then, after the article has been treated to the desired extent, open the supporting means with the article in a position to be removed and transferred by the transfer means and to operate said transfer means.

2. The apparatus of claim I in which the supporting means holds the article in an elevated position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the supporting means holds the article in an elevated position and includes a support engageable with the undersurface thereof inwardly of its margm.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the transfer means transfers a treated article while held centrally in an elevated position.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the treating means applies a liquid to the margins of the supported article and the conveyor means includes a dryer conveyor and a take-away conveyor receiving treated articles from the transfer means and delivering them to the dryer conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the control means operates the conveyors step-by-step, one step for each treated article.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the take-away conveyor is advanced prior to the dryer conveyor.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the transfer means includes a holder provided with a suction operated holder, an elevator operable to effect holding engagement between a treated article and the suction operated holder with the holder engaging a central part of a surface of the article, reciprocable means to transfer a held article to a position over the conveyor means, and means operable then to break the holding suction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the suction operated holder is downwardly disposed and located above the treated article and the elevator raises the treated article to bring its upper surface into engagement with the suction operated holder and the reciprocable means carries the holder.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the suction operated holder is upwardly disposed and carried by the elevator and the reciprocable means carries the elevator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the article-supporting means includes a pivoted, normally depending finger overlying the transfer means in a position to engage a central portion of a treated article as it is raised upwardly by the elevator to ensure contact of the article with the suction operated holder.

12. Apparatus for treating marginal portions of a free-form article, said apparatus comprising a lower article-supporting unit including a pair of rotatable members, each member having a peripheral groove to receive the margin of a supported article, an upper unit including a rotatable driving member having its axis at right angles to the axis of the pair of members, said upper unit being movable relative to the lower unit between a first position in which the driving member is remote from the position of an article when supported by the lower unit and a second position in which the driving wheel is in engagement with a supported article, said driving member then being operable to urge the engaged article against both of said lower unit members, said lower unit also including a supporting member underlying the area engaged by the upper unit driving member, said area being inwardly of the margins of the article at all times as it is being turned, and means to rotate said driving member and at least one of said pair of members.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 and means to deliver a liquid to the periphery of one of the members of the lower unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of the supported article and a roller in engagement with the margin of the upper surface of a supported article with its axis transverse to the travel of the engaged article surface, and means to deliver liquid to said roller.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 and a power-operated unit connected to the upper unit operable to raise and lower it between its first and second positions, the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of an article placed in contact with the pair of members of the lower unit, and control means operable when the arm is swung from a predetermined position by contact of the guide with the side margin of the article then to operate the poweroperated unit to lower the upper unit into its second position and second control means operative when the article has been turned to a predetermined extent to operate the poweroprated unit to raise the upper unit with the treated article in a predetermined take-away position.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 and a power-operated unit connected to the upper unit operable to raise and lower it, control means operable when an article is positioned with its edge against the pair of members of the first unit then to cause the power-operated unit to lower the upper unit, and an airoperated sensor of the type having an airgap and a valve operated in response to airflow across the gap, the sensor being positioned with the gap in the plane of the supported article to have airflow across the gap blocked thereby except on one occasion each time the article is turned end-to-end, and a conduit in communication with the sensor including a normally closed valve and a conduit including a control valve, a flow regulator, and a piston-cylinder unit with its stem operable to open said normally closed valve, said control valve being operated by the control means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the flow regulator is adjustable.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the arm includes sections, one pivoted to the upper unit, a mount is adjustably connected to the other section, a hinge connection between the sections permits said other section to swing vertically to a limited extent, and the roller is carried by the mount.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 in which there is a drain below the first unit, a pair of shafts extend upwardly therethrough, one for each of the pair of rotatable members of the lower unit, and the means to deliver liquid to the treating wheel includes a delivery tip and a support therefrom that is adjustable horizontally and vertically.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of the supported article, a roller engageable with the margin of the upper surface of the supported article with its axis transverse relative to the travel of the engaged surface of the article and means to deliver liquid to the roller, the roller overlying the drain.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the supporting member is a roller and is adjustable horizontally and vertically.

22. The dryer of claim 12 in which the apparatus includes means to deliver liquid to the margin of the supported article, said means including a liquid source, a pressuretight housing for said source, and means operable to maintain a predetermined positive pressure on the liquid at the source.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 and a pair of air delivery conduits each including a valve and a piston-cylinder unit, one unit operable to open and close the article-supporting means, and said other unit having a normally retracted position, the conduit for the other unit including a regulator to retard the advance of its piston, means to deliver a pulse of air to each valve to shift it to deliver air to the unit controlled thereby and including a normally closed valve and trigger controlled means to open said normally closed valve when an article is positioned in the article-supporting means, one unit then closing the article-supporting means and the piston of the other unit then advancing relatively slowly, air-operated means operable to remove an article from the article-supporting means and including means operable when the removal of an article has been completed to deliver a pulse of air to shift the valve in control of the slowly moving piston to terminate air delivery therethrough, means including a normally closed valve to deliver air to operate said article removing means and to shift the valve in control of the unit opening and closing the article-supporting means to effect the closed position thereof, and means operable by the slowly moving piston to open the last-named normally closed valve when a supported article has been turned completely about.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the air delivery conduit including the unit opening and closing the article-supporting means also includes a unit to operatethe liquid delivery valve to effect its open position only when the article-supporting means is closed.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 and means to convey removed articles away from the article-supporting means and operable step-by-step and including normally engaged airoperated latch means holding the conveyor means against movement, the valve in control of the flow of the opening of the article-supporting means has a second air delivery position into which it is set when the article-supporting means are closed, and air-operated means open in said second position to deliver an air-unlatching pulse, and an open normally air delivery conduit in communication with said trip means includes a normally closed valve opened by said unlatching pulse.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the conveyor means includes a take-away conveyor and a dryer conveyor, the latch means includes a normally engaged, air-operated latch for each conveyor, the air delivery conduit in communication with the latch means includes branch conduits, the branch conduit to the latch of the take-away conveyor includes the valve opened by the unlatching pulse, and the branch conduit for the dryer conveyor also includes a normally closed valve, and a trip for the last-named valve operated momentarily when the take-away conveyor has moved to a predetermined extent.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 and a trip operable by an article stuck on the take-away conveyor and operable to close the conduit to the latch means.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 in which the article-removing means includes a piston-cylinder unit operable to move an article from the article-supporting means to the take-away conveyor, an air delivery conduit includes a four-way valve including connections, with both ends of the cylinder of that unit so that in one position of the valve the piston thereof is advanced and retracted in the other valve position, the connection through which piston-advancing air is delivered including a normally open valve, and a trip operable by an article stuck on the dryer conveyor to close said normally open valve.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, and a conveyor to take away removed articles, the article-removing means includes article pickup means consisting of an upwardly disposed suction operated device and an elevator in support thereof and including a first piston-cylinder unit operable to bring an article and the suction device into holding engagement and a second piston-cylinder unit operable to move the elevator and the held article from the article-supporting means to a position over the conveyor, an air delivery conduit for each unit including a four-way valve including connections in communication with opposite ends of their cylinders, the air delivery means for operating the article-removing means including first and second branch conduits, the first branch conduit includes a normally open valve and a venturi whose suction intake is in communication with the suction device, a second suction operated'device with which the suction intake is in communication, the second branch conduit being connected to the four-way valve in control of the piston -cylinder unit of the elevator to set it to effect engagement with an article, the engaged article blocking the suction device to operate the second suction operated device, an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve then opened by the second suction operated device, a normally closed valve opened when the piston of the unit moving the held article to the conveyor is retracted then to reset the four-way valve in control thereof to cause its advance, and an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve connected to and operable to close the normally open valve and to reset the four-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit of the elevator, thereby to lower the elevator and release the suction, and a normally closed valve opened by the lowered elevator then resetting the four-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit by which the elevator is moved.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, and a conveyor to take away removed articles, the article-removing means includes article pickup means consisting of a downwardly disposed suction operated device and an elevator in support thereof and including a first piston-cylinder unit operable to bring an article upwardly into contact with the suction device and a pistoncylinder unit operable to move the suction operated device from the article-supporting means to a position over the conveyor, an air delivery conduit for each unit, the conduit for the elevator including a three-way valve and the conduit for the unit moving device including a four-way valve including connections in communication with opposite ends of its cylinder, the air delivery means for operating the article-removing means including first and second branch conduits, the first branch conduit includes a normally open valve and a venturi whose suction intake is in communication with the suction device, a second suction operated device with which the suction intake is in communication, the second branch conduit being connected to the three-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit of the elevator to set it to effect engagement with an article, the engaged article blocking the suction device to operate the second suction operated device, an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve then opened by the second suction operated device and connected to the normally closed valve of the second branch thereby to effect the lowering of the elevator, a normally closed valve opened on predetermined retracting travel of the piston of the second piston-cylinder unit and connected to and operable to set the four-way valve in control thereof and to advance the piston of said second unit, and an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve opened on advancing travel of the piston of the second unit to close the normally open valve of the first branch conduit thereby to effect the release of the held article and connected to Said four-way valve to reset it. 

1. Apparatus for treating the margins of free-form articles, said apparatus comprising means to support an article in a substantially horizontal position and to turn it to a desired extent, said supporting means having open and closed positions including means to treat the margins of the article while the supported article is turning, conveyor means, transfer means operable to transfer the treated article from the supporting means to the conveyor means, and control means actuated when an article is introduced into the supporting means in its open position and operable first to close the supporting means and then, after the article has been treated to the desired extent, open the supporting means with the article in a position to be removed and transferred by the transfer means and to operate said transfer means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the supporting means holds the article in an elevated position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the supporting means holds the article in an elevated position and includes a support engageable with the undersurface thereof inwardly of its margins.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the transfer means transfers a treated article while held centrally in an elevated position.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the treating means applies a liquid to the margins of the supported article and the conveyor means includes a dryer conveyor and a take-away conveyor receiving treated articles from the transfer means and delivering them to the dryer conveyor.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the control means operates the conveyors step-by-step, one step for each treated article.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the take-away conveyor is advanced prior to the dryer conveyor.
 8. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the transfer means includes a holder provided with a suction operated holder, an elevator operable to effect holding engagement between a treated article and the suction operated holder with the holder engaging a central part of a surface of the article, reciprocable means to transfer a held article to a position over the conveyor means, and means operable then to break the holding suction.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the suction operated holder is downwardly disposed and located above the treated article and the elevator raises the treated article to bring its upper surface into engagement with the suction operated holder and the reciprocable means carries the holder.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the suction operated holder is upwardly disposed and carried by the elevator and the reciprocable means carries the elevator.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the article-supporting means includes a pivoted, normally depending finger overlying the transfer means in a position to engage a central portion of a treated article as it is raised upwardly by the elevator to ensure contact of the article with the suction operated holder.
 12. Apparatus for treating marginal portions of a free-form article, said apparatus comprising a lower article-supporting unit including a pair of rotatable members, each member having a peripheral groove to receive the margin of a supported article, an upper unit including a rotatable driving member having its axis at right angles to the axis of the pair of members, said upper unit being movable relative to the lower unit between a first position in which the driving member is remote from the position of an article when supported by the lower unit and a second position in which the driving wheel is in engagement with a supported article, said driving member then being operable to urge the engaged article against both of said lower unit members, said lower unit also including a supporting member underlying the area engaged by the upper unit driving member, said area being inwardly of the margins of the article at all times as it is being turned, and means to rotate said driving member and at least one of said pair of members.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 and means to deliver a liquid to the periphery of one of the members of the lower unit.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of the supported article and a roller in engagement with the margin of the upper surface of a supported article with its axis transverse to the travel of the engaged article surface, and means to deliver liquid to said roller.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12 and a power-operated unit connected to the upper unit operable to raise and lower it between its first and second positions, the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of an article placed in contact with the pair of members of the lower unit, and control means operable when the arm is swung from a predetermined position by contact of the guide with the side margin of the article then to operate the power-operated unit to lower the upper unit into its second position and second control means operative when the article has been turned to a predetermined extent to operate the power-oprated unit to raise the upper unit with the treated article in a predetermined take-away position.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12 and a power-operated unit connected to the upper unit operable to raise and lower it, control means operable when an article is positioned with its edge against the pair of members of the first unit then to cause the power-operated unit to lower the upper unit, and an air-operated sensor of the type having an airgap and a valve operated in response to airflow across the gap, the sensor being positioned with the gap in the plane of the supported article to have airflow across the gap blocked thereby except on one occasion each time the article is turned end-to-end, and a conduit in communication with the sensor including a normally closed valve and a conduit including a control valve, a flow regulator, and a piston-cylinder unit with its stem operable to open said normally closed valve, said control valve being operated by the control means.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the flow regulator is adjustable.
 18. The apparatus of claim 14 in which the arm includes sections, one pivoted to the upper unit, a mount is adjustably connected to the other section, a hinge connection between the sections permits said other section to swing vertically to a limited extent, and the roller is carried by the mount.
 19. The apparatus of claim 13 in which there is a drain below the first unit, a pair of shafts extend upwardly therethrough, one for each of the pair of rotatable members of the lower unit, and the means to deliver liquid to the treating wheel includes a delivery tip and a support therefrom that is adjustable horizontally and vertically.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the upper unit includes a pivoted arm provided with a guide engageable by the edge of the supported article, a roller engageable with the margin of the upper surface of the supported article with its axis transverse relative to the travel of the engaged surface of the article and means to deliver liquid to the roller, the roller overlying the drain.
 21. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the supporting member is a roller and is adjustable horizontally and vertically.
 22. The dryer of claim 12 in which the apparatus includes means to deliver liquid to the margin of the supported article, said means including a liquid source, a pressuretight housing for said source, and means operable to maintain a predetermined positive pressure on the liquid at the source.
 23. The apparatus of claim 1 and a pair of air delivery conduits each including a valve and a piston-cylinder unit, one unit operable to open and close the article-supporting means, and said other unit having a normally retracted position, the conduit for the other unit Including a regulator to retard the advance of its piston, means to deliver a pulse of air to each valve to shift it to deliver air to the unit controlled thereby and including a normally closed valve and trigger controlled means to open said normally closed valve when an article is positioned in the article-supporting means, one unit then closing the article-supporting means and the piston of the other unit then advancing relatively slowly, air-operated means operable to remove an article from the article-supporting means and including means operable when the removal of an article has been completed to deliver a pulse of air to shift the valve in control of the slowly moving piston to terminate air delivery therethrough, means including a normally closed valve to deliver air to operate said article removing means and to shift the valve in control of the unit opening and closing the article-supporting means to effect the closed position thereof, and means operable by the slowly moving piston to open the last-named normally closed valve when a supported article has been turned completely about.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the air delivery conduit including the unit opening and closing the article-supporting means also includes a unit to operate the liquid delivery valve to effect its open position only when the article-supporting means is closed.
 25. The apparatus of claim 23 and means to convey removed articles away from the article-supporting means and operable step-by-step and including normally engaged air-operated latch means holding the conveyor means against movement, the valve in control of the flow of the opening of the article-supporting means has a second air delivery position into which it is set when the article-supporting means are closed, and air-operated means open in said second position to deliver an air-unlatching pulse, and an open normally air delivery conduit in communication with said trip means includes a normally closed valve opened by said unlatching pulse.
 26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the conveyor means includes a take-away conveyor and a dryer conveyor, the latch means includes a normally engaged, air-operated latch for each conveyor, the air delivery conduit in communication with the latch means includes branch conduits, the branch conduit to the latch of the take-away conveyor includes the valve opened by the unlatching pulse, and the branch conduit for the dryer conveyor also includes a normally closed valve, and a trip for the last-named valve operated momentarily when the take-away conveyor has moved to a predetermined extent.
 27. The apparatus of claim 26 and a trip operable by an article stuck on the take-away conveyor and operable to close the conduit to the latch means.
 28. The apparatus of claim 26 in which the article-removing means includes a piston-cylinder unit operable to move an article from the article-supporting means to the take-away conveyor, an air delivery conduit includes a four-way valve including connections, with both ends of the cylinder of that unit so that in one position of the valve the piston thereof is advanced and retracted in the other valve position, the connection through which piston-advancing air is delivered including a normally open valve, and a trip operable by an article stuck on the dryer conveyor to close said normally open valve.
 29. The apparatus of claim 1, and a conveyor to take away removed articles, the article-removing means includes article pickup means consisting of an upwardly disposed suction operated device and an elevator in support thereof and including a first piston-cylinder unit operable to bring an article and the suction device into holding engagement and a second piston-cylinder unit operable to move the elevator and the held article from the article-supporting means to a position over the conveyor, an air delivery conduit for each unit including a four-way valve including connections in communication with opposite ends of their cylinders, the air delivEry means for operating the article-removing means including first and second branch conduits, the first branch conduit includes a normally open valve and a venturi whose suction intake is in communication with the suction device, a second suction operated device with which the suction intake is in communication, the second branch conduit being connected to the four-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit of the elevator to set it to effect engagement with an article, the engaged article blocking the suction device to operate the second suction operated device, an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve then opened by the second suction operated device, a normally closed valve opened when the piston of the unit moving the held article to the conveyor is retracted then to reset the four-way valve in control thereof to cause its advance, and an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve connected to and operable to close the normally open valve and to reset the four-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit of the elevator, thereby to lower the elevator and release the suction, and a normally closed valve opened by the lowered elevator then resetting the four-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit by which the elevator is moved.
 30. The apparatus of claim 1, and a conveyor to take away removed articles, the article-removing means includes article pickup means consisting of a downwardly disposed suction operated device and an elevator in support thereof and including a first piston-cylinder unit operable to bring an article upwardly into contact with the suction device and a piston-cylinder unit operable to move the suction operated device from the article-supporting means to a position over the conveyor, an air delivery conduit for each unit, the conduit for the elevator including a three-way valve and the conduit for the unit moving device including a four-way valve including connections in communication with opposite ends of its cylinder, the air delivery means for operating the article-removing means including first and second branch conduits, the first branch conduit includes a normally open valve and a venturi whose suction intake is in communication with the suction device, a second suction operated device with which the suction intake is in communication, the second branch conduit being connected to the three-way valve in control of the piston-cylinder unit of the elevator to set it to effect engagement with an article, the engaged article blocking the suction device to operate the second suction operated device, an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve then opened by the second suction operated device and connected to the normally closed valve of the second branch thereby to effect the lowering of the elevator, a normally closed valve opened on predetermined retracting travel of the piston of the second piston-cylinder unit and connected to and operable to set the four-way valve in control thereof and to advance the piston of said second unit, and an air delivery conduit including a normally closed valve opened on advancing travel of the piston of the second unit to close the normally open valve of the first branch conduit thereby to effect the release of the held article and connected to said four-way valve to reset it. 